Holy War: The Untold Story of Catholic Italy's Crusade Against the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

In 1935, Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia, leading to the Second World War. Historian Ian Campbell reveals that bishops of the Italian Catholic Church facilitated the invasion by sanctifying it as a crusade against the Ethiopian Catholic Church. Thousands of clergy were martyred, monasteries and churches were burned, and a jihad was instigated against Ethiopian Christendom. After Italy's surrender, the horrors of the pogrom were swept under the carpet, and the leading culprits were put on the road to sainthood.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 11 November 2021
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

In 1935, Fascist Italy launched a devastating invasion of the sovereign state of Ethiopia, igniting a chain of events that ultimately led to the outbreak of the Second World War. Historian Ian Campbell presents a captivating and groundbreaking narrative in his book, Holy War, which offers a fresh perspective on this historical event. Through his meticulous research spanning three decades, Campbell uncovers a shocking truth: the bishops of the Italian Catholic Church played a pivotal role in facilitating the invasion by sanctifying it as a crusade against the world's second-oldest national Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Cardinals and archbishops rallied the support of Catholic Italy for Il Duce's invading armies by branding Ethiopian Christians as heretics and schismatics, and declaring that the onslaught was a divine assignment.

Campbell's evidence, meticulously compiled over decades of research, unveils the tragic martyrdom of thousands of clergy members of the venerable Ethiopian Church, the devastating burning and looting of hundreds of Ethiopia's ancient monasteries and churches, and the instigation and arming of a jihad against Ethiopian Christendom, reminiscent of the Middle Ages. This pogrom, which unfolded after Italy's surrender to the Allies, was subsequently swept under the rug of history, with the primary culprits being canonized as saints.

Holy War is a poignant and eye-opening account of a forgotten chapter in world history, shedding light on the complexities of religious conflict and the role of religious institutions in shaping historical events. It serves as a reminder of the importance of understanding the past to prevent history from repeating itself.

Weight: 762g
Dimension: 148 x 223 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787384774